Cam Newton’s done it now. Oh, boy. Has he ever. He insulted a female reporter! Get ready for the full wrath of the internet. Now before we get any farther, let me say for the record that Cam Newton is still an immature putz, who continues to see himself as a victim. Victim of the mean referees who don’t call enough personal fouls in his defense. Victim of little old ladies who don’t like his end zone dancing. Victim of beat writers who are too negative when things aren’t going well. And on, and on.
That said, I find it quite enjoyable when a former torch bearer of the enlightened progressive sports media, acts in a way that is most definitely NOT progressive! Talk about flipping the narrative!
Newton was tagged as the Great Black Hope when he led the 15-1 Panthers to the Super Bowl two years ago. To dare to even hint that he should tone down his endzone “dabbin'” and Superman act, was deemed a virtual act of racism by some members of the NFL media. Cam was going to do the QB thing HIS WAY, and that was universally deemed a “good thing” by those who held the “right” opinion.
So what do the virtue signaling peacocks in the media do now? Does sexism trump racism? I’m so confused. The way Cam reacted to a female reporter asking a legitimate and distinctly “non-jargony” question about “routes” was classic Asshole Athlete 101. You never played shit. Don’t ask me nothin’. The sexism was just the whip cream on top.
The good female NFL reporters know just as much as any men on the beat about the game, because like the buffet-grazers with penises, they have both played the same amount of organized tackle football.
Fucking zero.
The one thing men have a slight advantage on, is that men understand other men a little better than women. That is not up for debate. Otherwise, that’s about it.
I can’t say I’ve run “hot and cold” on Cam in the NFL, because at best I’ve been lukewarm. I was impressed 2 years ago at his development as a pure pocket passer, because it had come much farther than I ever thought it might.
But ever since he didn’t jump on that loose ball under the roman numerals, and with his dismissive, eye-rolling post-game presser that night, Cam Newton has reverted to just a guy out there at QB. Sure, he’s been hurt. But so is everyone. Deal with it. Evolve. Be a leader. Grow the fuck up just a little, bro.
There’s nobody who smiles so much (and note: holy shit, what GREAT teeth!) yet harbors so much needless hostility in so many random directions than Cameron Jerrell Newton.
It’s yet another bad look for the players, right when they want to be taken seriously and have their “voices heard” on important societal issues. From Odell Beckham Jr. pissing like a dog, Marcus Cooper hot-dogging away an easy touchdown, Danny Trevathan trying to behead a helpless Devante Adams, Antonio Brown throwing a 5-year old supermarket-aisle didn’t-get-his-candy meltdown, and now Cam basically telling a female reporter to get back to the kitchen.
The handful of dummies don’t speak for the smart football players who are sincere in their activism. But if it was me, I would definitely say to them: “Hey! NOT helping… fellas.”
Czabe, do you find it at all hypocritical of guys like Golic are talking on the radio about how women know sports and have every right to ask questions in the locker room without the sexist attitudes, but say that guys like Kornheiser don’t have any place in the booth because they never played pro ball? I’ll hang up and listen to your response.
Steve, you were right, Cam is a douche. He’ll be fine, though. The league isn’t going to come down on him now, when they’re having a hard enough time keeping hundreds of their players from flipping off the flag before games. No, sexism doesn’t trump racism right now. Maybe last year.
The problem with women sports reporters isn’t that they ask about things like routes; it’s that they usually don’t. This reporter didn’t either; after throwing in some jargon, she asked how Cam felt about his teammate’s improved play. That’s what they constantly ask: how so-and-so felt about such-and-such that happened. It’s no surprise, because that’s what women are interested in. When they’re not asking about feelings, they’re asking open-ended questions like, “What do you need to do better in the second half?” Which amounts to, “Could you do my job for me?”
There are exceptions. Dottie Pepper and Linda Cohn ask real, relevant questions about the play, and they get real insights from players. But most of them don’t, so it’s no surprise that the players don’t take them seriously. They just manage to hide it better most of the time.
Gotta say that this post really surprised me, Czabe. I didn’t peg you for one to jump on the overreaction bandwagon on something like this.
First ….. should Cam have said what he said in that press conference? No.
Second …. was what he said completely incorrect? I don’t think so.
I don’t think he at all was going with the “you never played the game” angle. Not at all.
“My uncle was admitted to the hospital today, which is ‘funny’ because I saw him last night and everything seemed fine”. Is it truly ‘funny’ that my uncle has been hospitalized? Of course not! It’s very surprising though.
THAT is what Cam meant. It’s surprising to hear a woman talk in depth about wide receiver routes, only because it’s not something you hear everyday. And face the facts, it’s NOT something you hear every day in the real world. It doesn’t mean that a woman is incapable of learning football (of course), it’s just still surprising when a woman REALLY knows football. I can honestly say that in all of my professional career, I can never remember one single female co-worker of mine EVER joining in any sort of in depth sports discussion. Ever! I have three sisters, and I would be very surprised if any of them ever tried to intelligently speak about the finer details of the cover 2 defense. Just like I would be surprised and find it ‘funny’ if the dude in the cubicle next to me at work came in talking about how he couldn’t wait to watch tonight’s Hallmark Channel move of the week. Nothing wrong with it ….. just not something you hear everyday. Thus …. ‘funny’.
Like it or not, there are still things in our society that are considered feminine, and there are things that are considered masculine. And it is surprising when someone doesn’t fit in to that mold, only because it is not all that common.
If I go home tonight and start asking my wife about her particular choice in makeup or hair products, you can bet she will find it ‘funny’.
Maybe it’s a southern slang to use the word ‘funny’ like that … I don’t know. But like Cam, I am from the Atlanta area and it made perfect sense to me.
I totally respect women who are in sports journalism and work hard at their craft! I think it’s awesome. They are still the vast minority, however, and I’m sure it does feel funny to these extremely masculine guys to have a woman ask them details about wide receiver routes.
Just my two cents … I’ll hang up and listen.
– CARY